Now you see it. Now you don’t.

TRUE’s next chapter in their widely popular Project X series is here. This time, rather than taking its usual place as one of the top low kick sticks on the market, the TRUE Project X Glitch stick takes a new approach—one focused on deception and misdirection. We’ll check out the specs, what this stick can do for your game, and whether it deserves a spot in your stick lineup.

Graphics

The player version of the Project X Glitch stick has a black base with purple iridescent graphics that appear to spread out from the centre of the shaft in an X design. The iridescence means that it changes colours depending on how the light hits.

Looking back at the X design, it’s not just a solid purple, but there are also lines running parallel along the X and shaft, appearing somewhat like radio waves. Those waves expand and compress with the shaft’s geometry, almost like the graphic is mapping where it moves from convex to concave. It’s a neat way to tie in the electromagnetic theme with the construction of the stick itself.

But this is the glitch, not the radio wave—and the graphic choice to showcase that theme appears in the black sections, along the top and bottom of the shaft. Dotted, almost randomly placed lines appear behind the Project X logo and across other parts of the shaft, mimicking a “glitchy” design.

Many of the text logos are the same ones we’ve seen in previous Project X series sticks, with the addition of the new Glitch logo along the side. 

Dual Kick Profile: Low-Kick Response with Mid-Kick Control

The Glitch stick’s philosophy is to deceive the defender and the goalie, and what better way to do it than confuse the user too… because what does low-kick response with mid-kick control even mean?

Jokes aside, the variance in the kick point says a lot about what this stick is trying to do. With this stick, it isn’t about you reacting faster; rather, it’s about being a full step ahead and forcing your opponent to react to you instead. But to reach that potential, some changes needed to be made.

Low kick sticks are amazing for shooting quickly, before the goalie can read the shot. However, they may struggle when it comes to controlling the puck since the flex occurs lower in the shaft and further away from your hands, which means a bit less support in that area. Mid kicks, on the other hand, tend to be much better at stabilizing your hold of the puck, though that comes with the downside of being tougher and longer to load on the shot.

It’s kind of similar to what we saw with the Project X Storm, but rather than focusing on a hard shot, the Glitch looks at control.

To misdirect your opponent, you’d ideally want the release of a low kick stick to get the shot off before anyone can react. You’d also want the control of a mid kick to keep your dekes and puck movement on track. That’s exactly how TRUE designed the dual kick point for this stick: with a low-kick response for speed, and mid-kick control to time your maneuvers just right.

Key tech:

• Syntax geometry
• Dual Kick Profile
• Controlled energy transfer
• Tactile grip interface
• Structural integrity
• The Advantage

Shaft

The concept of deception is key to the Glitch stick’s construction.

Normally, sticks with a low kick point would use specific shaft shapes or grips to allow for increased hand movement; alternatively, mid kick sticks usually have a shaft shape that promotes increased surface area on the grip for more control. Both serve their purposes, but for the Glitch stick to help you deceive, it has to go a step further.

Syntax geometry adds a shaft shape that alternates between concave and convex, locking in your hand and allowing for increased control that isn’t too overbearing on the grip. Combined with a tactile grip, the stick can both boost control while making it easy to readjust as needed… although whether you need to with this stick is yet to be seen.

The structural integrity of the stick has also been designed with a more balanced construction, which keeps the stick tough and durable while still feeling much lighter than it is.

Blade

The Glitch’s blade has been designed with a controlled energy transfer in mind. This means it focuses on keeping the power you load consistent throughout, all the way into the shot. The construction makes it great for shooting in stride and under pressure.

Of course, the question remains—how does this tech actually benefit you as a player? How does it all come together? Because any stick can say it will help you deceive the competition with the right skill set. What does the Glitch bring to the table?

TRUE has dubbed the stick’s philosophy as The Advantage. The simplest explanation is that the stick’s overall construction is designed to allow you to make all your maneuvers with your hands higher on the shaft. This effectively lowers how often you need to change your hand position.

A major part of the defensive game is reading the play, and that goes for both defensemen and goalies. The better they read the deke or shot, the better positioned they are to defend and react. Part of that reading can come from the way you adjust your hands—when you are readying yourself on the shot, you have to load or wind up, which would usually come with a visual tell. Dekes and passing can also have tells. The Glitch stick looks to make that defending much harder.

This stick is designed to counter that with its promotion of higher hand positioning. Since you can do all your normal puckhandling movements with your hands in the same position, you aren’t giving defensemen and goalies those usual tells. By the time they’ve read the play, you and the puck are already gone. Blink and you’ll miss it.

Final Thoughts - Is This Stick the Right One for You?

The Project X Glitch is designed to enhance the play of those whose entire strategy is to be as unexpected as possible. You thrive in situations when it’s you against a defender or the goalie, and always want to be one step ahead.

Players who like to shoot while in motion will love this stick. With fewer hand adjustments needed, you can get the shot off without having to rebalance yourself on the stride. This stick really is the one you want if you are trying to get one step ahead.

In terms of position, the Glitch stick may benefit forwards and offensive defensemen the most, since its construction greatly supports more offensive-focused plays. That said, all forwards and defensemen can still greatly enjoy the stick’s versatility, especially with its dual kick profile.

If you excel at being unpredictable and want a stick that keeps defenders guessing then the Project X Glitch is built for you.